LONG BEACH, Calif. - Aug. 23, 2022 - PRLog -- Over 10 years of passion and dedication to empowering Latinas in STEM culminated in a powerful and inspirational evening celebrating nonprofit #LatinaGeeks' milestone anniversary and honoring the work and achievements of four individuals breaking barriers and pioneering innovation to create a transformative impact on our world.

The event raised awareness of the inequities Latinas face in the technology sector, challenged companies to prioritize diversity and inclusion efforts, and mobilize support to continue to accelerate progress. The black-tie gala recognized the significant achievements and resilience of outstanding individuals who are shaping the future of the technology industry and working to create a future they would like to see.

"#LatinaGeeks was launched to help more women like myself, who don't want to be another statistic and know they deserve the opportunities that are out there," said LaLa Castro, Cofounder and Executive Director for #LatinaGeeks. "It's for the women who want to change the future for the next generations to come."

The 2022 Inspirada Award Recipients:

RISING STAR IN STEM
Diana Segura: A second-generation University of Texas at Austin student studying Aerospace Engineering, she was selected into the Texas Space laboratory research program dedicated to designing & building small satellites and operating them into orbit. Most recently, she began an internship at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

TECHNOLOGY ENTREPRENEUR
Maria Oliveria Tamellini: Co-founder and COO of GamerSafer, a platform that helps online games protect players and communities from child exploitation, disruptive behaviors, and fraud. Maria is an ardent champion and advocate for both women and child safety in digital spaces and is recognized for building positive, ethical, and healthy technologies for our youth.

EMERGING LEADER
Diana Iracheta: As a recent grad in 2019, Diana founded the Latina Engineering organization to create resources for students and young professionals in hopes to increase the representation of Latinas in engineering roles. In 2021, she started a foundation to create scholarships for minorities in STEM and to date has awarded over $5,000 in scholarships.

SOCIAL IMPACT
Martha Montoya: Martha is the CEO & Founder of AgTools. The company's platform provides real-time critical data in order to reduce food supply chain waste and contributes to solutions that fight global warming and ensure a sustainable future for our farmers. Passionate about social impact. Martha has created finance programs for women farmers in Mexico, and low-interest credit programs in California for small minority organic farmers.

Each Inspirada award recipient was also awarded a certificate of recognition by the City of Long Beach signed by mayor Robert Garcia for their outstanding achievements.

#LatinaGeeks proudly thanks their Red Carpet Sponsor, Western Governors University (WGU), Table Sponsors California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Cox Communications, Intuit, & Microsoft, as well as Scholarship Donors Autodesk and WGU.

Gala Media Sponsor: Knect.tv

About #LatinaGeeks
Our mission is to empower and educate Latinas by sharing technical knowledge, business skills, and entrepreneur resources through hands-on workshops, strategic partnerships, and community events. #LatinaGeeks is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit. To learn more, visit their website at http://latinageeks.com.

Media Contact:
denyse@latinageeks.org